Armitstead World Champion, Guarnier wins bronze

26 September 2015

Lizzie Armitstead is the new world champion on the road! The British rider of the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team won the sprint of a group of favorites and gets to wear the rainbow jersey next season. Her team mate Megan Guarnier of the United States won the bronze medal. "I am still in shock" Armitstead told after the race. "I could not believe it when I crossed the line. It was a very tactical race. I tested the other favorites with two laps to go. In the final I got to the finish line in the front of this group. But then Anna (van der Breggen) started to sprint and that was just ideal for me. I won a lot this year, but this really is the big win I dreamt of."

The riders of the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team - wearing their national jerseys this occassion - were very active. Lizzie Armitstead was always in the front, but so were Evelyn Stevens and Ellen van Dijk. Chantal Blaak and Romy Kasper attacked several times. The team can look back on a strong season and the riders finished the 2015 road cycling season at that high level of performance till the very last kilometre.

"I was surprised it came down so quickly and that we actually caught that group on Libby Hill," Guarnier told afterwards. "Then we came over 23rd street and we had a small selection, but I also knew it's a little bit hard to all work together in that moment as well. Then there was an attack up the right. I knew I had to mark that immediately because if you hesitate in those final kilometers, it's gone."